It’s late at night. It’s hot. It’s sticky. There’s a cool breeze coming in through the window. Not much of a breeze but just enough to give the room a slight freshness, which is most welcome. I’ve woken from a nap and I’m feeling a little groggy to be perfectly honest. That amazing feeling you get when you wake from a nap and feel like you should wake up, but at the same time you could easily just roll over, shut your eyes and have another. It’s not like the feeling of waking in the night. That’s different. This feeling is more one of confusion. Why is it still daylight? Why was I sleeping? What is going on? It’s an amazing feeling. Even now I still feel groggy. I feel like proper sleep will descend on me soon enough. I decided to stick on my ipod and just enjoy the warm groggyness. Embrace it. I chose this album by one Will Oldham aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy to soundtrack this hot, sticky, groggy, sweaty evening. And it’s perfect. What a beautiful record this is. All I really need now is a bottle of whisky and the night would be good. Better than good. Perfect.

I’ve always been an Oldham fan. Seeing him live at the ABC some years back now really was a pretty special night and I never fail to be impressed by his ability to produce album after album of quality songs, without ever really changing his approach to song writing. Things might be turned up a notch or brought right down to the barest bones. And for me, it’s when Oldham takes things down to the bare minimum that his music really shines. This album is stunning in it’s simplistic beauty. Sure, there are little compliments of wonderful instrumentation, gorgeous backing vocals here and there, and the odd moment of uplift. However, for the most part, what really grabs me with this record is the quietness. The subtle quietness. The perfect soundtrack to a hot, sticky night. Another perfect piece of music from one of music’s most talented songwriters. Check out Bonnie “Prince” Billy here. Enjoy.